Okaerinasai
by The Silent Wing
Summary: Alice wants the pain to stop. (one shot)


The colour of the leaves has changed again. It's been so long yet it feels as if the whole group will walk through the portal again. Grandfather fixed it but no one has come. Perhaps they are busy or perhaps they forgot about the life they left on earth? But we will never. After Julie, Runo and I came back from Bakugan city Julie left again with Billy through the portal to continue the adventures of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers with the others so it's just me and Runo left on earth. We started living our normal lives again soon after Julie left; the ones that were oushed back while we were busy with bakugan. We figured that we had to move on.

I stayed in Moscow but visit Runo regularly as she now manages a new branch of her parents' restaurant. Grandfather retired from his duties and now spends his time at home with his new hobby, cooking. And although his "experiments" don't always go the way he plans I'm there to help him. I'm currently studying at a nursing school in my hometown and between visits to Runo I've also visited the families of the other brawlers.

Dan's family don't seem too worried as they get an update from him every month or so to share his adventures with them. His mother told me the other day that as long as he is happy both of them will support him. Marucho's family are as always calm but at times I get the feeling that they are worried for their son and wish for him to return. I suppose it's because he is the heir for the family company and they have pressure from the competition their company face but I'm sure that they want their son to be living the life he wants. I met up with Daisy, Julie's sister, the other day and she told me that she's about to get married and wants me to pass on the message to Julie, who hopefully will come to the wedding with her usual grand entrance of screaming to the sky while dragging the whole group with her. I bet that when she gets the message she will deafen poor Billy with her outburst. I sometimes visit Shun's grandfather who surprisingly is quite friendly if you get the time to know him. It seems the only reason why he wanted Shun to not take the path of a bakugan brawler was because he was worried for his grandson, that he would get too carried away and forget about his family. Although Shun or rather no one ever visits we still get messages from them. These messages sent on by Dan are sometimes from Shun as he asks about his family which allows his grandfather to worry less about him. I also visit Shun's mother in her hospital room. She hasn't woken up yet but sometimes her face has a small smile etched into it as if she can hear me as I talk to her and tell her about the adventures her son and rest of the brawlers had and still are having and also about how happy her son is living his dream.

I use to think of the times when the group was together regularly but as the years pass those thoughts diminished to a slow trickle and it's usually only on the days of my friends' birthdays as well as the anniversary of their leave that I think of them. As I sit here now in my favourite spot in the meadow behind grandfather's shed I think of them and wonder how my friends are. I heard from Dan that the group has expanded I would like to meet the new members but although I can go through the portal at anytime I wish I know that I'm not needed. I guess my time as a brawler was officially over after that final visit to New Vestroia when the whole group was together again to witness the celebrations of the planet being reborn. Since then the only regular contact with the active members of our group are through Dan as he sends me and Runo updates through the portal.

Of course we are still in contact with the other past brawlers like Chan Lee and Joe, whom I am happy to say have finally(finally) become a couple after Chan Lee won him over by staying by his side through his surgery and recovery after he had a serious relapse of his illness a year ago. Besides Runo, I have also visited Klaus regularly when I found out that he had a villa close to my home and to my delight a wonderful garden. We sometimes spend hours just discussing the different types of flora in our different homelands. Our relationship is mainly that of friends but sometimes it's almost like we are siblings. I recently found out that he too doesn't know his parents and like me relies on grandparents. We both also enjoy my grandfather's sometimes not so funny jokes and we all enjoy his grandmother's cupcakes which always include my grandfather crying because his own baked treats, to his disappointment, are nothing in comparison.

I sometimes wish I could share these happy times with the other brawlers but everyone is so far apart now days that sometimes it hurts to think about the distance that has come between each of us. When that pain comes I think of one person in particular. At first I didn't know the reason but as time went on and with Runo's constant hinting I finally reached the resolution of why the pain hurt so much. It came as a shock at first that the person who caused that pain to worsen was one of my best friends when we were younger. I knew, everyone knew that we were close. We could understand what the other would be thinking but I guess I hadn't realised what that close bond between us would lead to. Everyone around me says that I have a good intuition when it comes to understanding everyone's hidden feelings yet it seems that at the time I could barely understand my own!

I shouldn't really be thinking about these feelings after all I haven't seen him in years. If he ever returns I know that that time we spent separated would have shattered the close bond that we had in the past. At this time during my train of thought I will usually be saying "cheer up" and "forget about it you have better things to do" then I will go study or do some chores. But today is different, I finally want to sort out these useless feelings of mine and tell myself straight that he does not need those immature hopes to face him when he returns. I sit for an hour and run through every memory of him that has caused my heart to feel this way and decipher them differently as if to trick my heart into believing that it was nothing but a mistake.

It's strange isn't it. I use to love those small moments we shared but now I hate them. When you love someone the happiest and saddest times of your life will always involve them and no matter how much you try to push them away they will always return. The pain will be less of course unless you let it get the better of you. That is the danger of finding someone who makes you feel happy. They can become your downfall which makes you hate their very being yet you still want to treasure them. I don't want to hate Shun, I must not so that if he ever returns we can hopefully still be friends.

I have to try.

My brain does its task but my stubborn heart doesn't budge, the pain just intensifies to the point that tears fall. I hug my knees, resting my forehead against them, as the tears trial down my face and drip one by one on to my thick sweater. I try as much as I can to restrin my feelings but its too late.

"I can't let them out; he doesn't feel the same, I know he doesn't. Shun doesn't." I repeat this sentence over and over not even caring that the words leave my lips because I know no one cares.

After a while I fall silent but only because I can see the sun's light fading, turning into a brilliant orange through the tear lined blurry lenses that are my eyes. I slowly sit up and gaze at the red sky as tears dry on my already tear stained face.

"What do I do…I-I can't …I can't let these feelings go." I whisper to the fading sun as the moon rises to take its place.

"Then don't" a voice behind me clearly states.

I freeze, my mind in a frenzy at that tone, that tone of voice that only belongs to one person. Questions tumble into my head as they search for answers then as I slowly turn my head they are silenced and I am only left with one thought in my mind.

"Shun…" I murmur in shock when I see him, leaning against a tree not far from where I sat for the last few hours. The next moments are a blur with the only thing my mind processes is Shun walking towards me then kneels down in front of me and wipes the forgotten tears from my eyes. I only focus on his eyes as their gaze locks onto mine. I only realise that he is talking when I notice his lips moving. I catch the words "for good" and my mind starts to focus on what he says which is when he finishes and looks at me expectantly. I blink and ask him to repeat what he said. He smiles amused at my confused face then to my shock he gently pulls me towards him and hugs me. He whispers something that I can hardly dare to believe.

"I've come back for good this time. I'm not leaving you again so… don't them go"

My voice refuses to answer for me as I return his hug but I know he understands. I feel my eyes water again only this time not because of the pain but because of the relief and the happiness his words gave me.

"Welcome home" I finally say when my voice returns as the moon rises high in the sky with its illuminating glow shining down on us.

* * *

Thank you for reading :) This is my first time writing a bakugan fanfic and I'm sorry if I got the timeline wrong I kinda lost interest in the series after they pushed Alice into the back. I wrote this a while ago and I wasn't thinking of posting it but I've been having some...eeh... self inflicted problems I guess with a certain crush (that I can't work up the courage to talk to and it's a horrible feeling) and well this story came to mind so I opened it up then did some editing to relieve some pain I guess. Sorry if their characters are off anyway thank you again for reading and please leave a comment if you can.

-Wing

p.s. incase you didn't know okaerinasai=welcome home.


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